| Hunter-Weston | Aylmer | | Major | HUNTER-WESTON, AYLMER, Brevet Major, was born 23 September 1864, eldest son of Lieutenant Colonel Gould Hunter-Weston and Mrs Jane Hunter-Weston, of Hunterston, Ayrshire, Scotland. He was educated at Wellington College; at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and at the Staff College. He joined the Royal Engineers in 1884, and became Captain in 1892. Lieutenant Hunter-Weston took part in the Miranzai Expedition in 1891, as a Company Officer in the Bengal Sappers and Miners. In 1894 he served as a Captain Commanding a company of Bengal Sappers and Miners in the Waziristan Delimitation Escort, and was present at the night action of Wana (Despatches). He commanded two companies of Bengal Sappers and Miners, and was Acting CRE on Sir William Lockhart's Staff with the Waziristan Field Force, 1894-95 (Despatches; Brevet of Major, and Medal with clasp). He served with the Dongola Expeditionary Force in 1896, as a Special Service Officer on Sir Herbert Kitchener's Staff, and was present at the Battle of Firket (Despatches; 4th Class Medjidie; Queen's Medal; Khedive's Medal with clasp). Brevet Major Aylmer Hunter-Weston served in the South African War from 1899 to 1901. He was successively in command of Mounted Engineers; Commanding Royal Engineers with Lieutenant General French's Cavalry Division; DAAG Cavalry Division; Chief Staff Officer to Lieutenant General French, and finally in independent command of a Mounted Column. He was present at the operations round Colesberg; actions at Dekiel's Drift and Klip Drift; Relief of Kimberley; operations at Paardeberg, and actions near Poplar Grove, Driefontein, Thaba Nchu, Karee Siding, Zand River, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Belfast, Carolina, Barberton, Ermelo, Pietretief, etc. During the advance to Pretoria he commanded the cavalry raids described below. Lieutenant General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston, Royal Engineers, gained the DSO while holding the rank of Brevet Major, for distinguished service in the South African War (1899-1901), and especially for his success in breaking through the Boer positions and cutting the railway behind them. He commanded five such raids, the parties in each case being composed of Mounted Royal Engineers and Cavalry. His principal raids were made with the object of cutting the railway (1) north of Bloemfontein, at Rustfontein, 13 March; (2) north of Kronstadt, near Amerika Siding, 11 and 12 May; (3) north of Bloemhof, at Grootvlei, 22 and 23 May; (4) east of Pretoria (Delagoa Bay Railway), 1 and 2 June; and (5) north of Pretoria 5 June, 1900. For his services in command of these raids he was created a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order [London Gazette, 19 April, 1901: "Aylmer Hunter-Weston, Brevet-Major, Royal Engineers. In recognition of services during the operations in South Africa". For his further services in the South African War, Brevet-Major Aylmer Hunter-Weston was mentioned in Despatches; received the Queen's Medal with seven clasps, and was given the Brevet of Lieutenant Colonel. After the South African War, Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Aylmer Hunter-Weston commanded a Field Company, Royal Engineers, at Shorncliife till 1904, when he was made DAAG, 4th Army Corps in London. He was transferred to the General Staff on its inception, and served on the General Staff in the Eastern Command from 1904-1908; in the Scottish Command, 1908-11; and as Assistant Director of Military Training, General Staff, War Office, 1911-14. In February 1914, he was promoted to Brigadier General, and given the command of the 11th Infantry Brigade at Colchester. On the outbreak of War, August 1914, he took the 11th Infantry Brigade of the 4th Division to France and took part in the Great Retreat, and in all the battles in France and Flanders up till February 1915, when he was sent home to command the 29th Division (Despatches four times; promoted Major General for distinguished service in the field). Major General Aylmer Hunter-Weston left England with the 29th Division in March, 1915, and commanded it at the landing at Cape Helles, Dardanelles, on 25 April, and in the subsequent operations on the Gallipoli Peninsula. He was promoted temporary Lieutenant General on 24 May 1915, and commanded the 8th Army Corps at the Dardanelles, and subsequently in France till the conclusion of hostilities, when he was promoted Lieutenant General "for distinguished service in the field". He was created a KCB on 11 August 1915. Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston of Hunterston was elected MP for his county (North Ayrshire) as Coalition candidate in October 1916, on the nomination of all parties, Unionist, Liberal and Labour, while he was at the front in command of his Army Corps. He was re-elected with an enormous majority in December 1918. Lieutenant General Hunter-Weston married Grace (Lady of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, only daughter of William Strang Steel, of Philiphaugh, Selkirkshire, on 5 December 1905. He was 27th Laird of Hunterston and head of the ancient families both of Weston of Weston-under-Lizar, and of Hunter of Hunterston. He was JP and DL of Ayrshire; Knight of Justice of St John of Jerusalem, of the English Priory of which Order his collateral ancestor Sir William Weston was Grand Prior on its suppression in England in the time of Henry VIII. He was Commandeur Legion d'Honneur, Grand Officer of the Belgian Crown, Member of the Medjidieh, DSO and KCB.
Source: DSO recipients (VC and DSO Book) | Royal Engineers |
